The Brazilian protests in June were broadcast worldwide. “We have awoken” was written on posters. In search of a stronger voice on the decisions of public policies and against some measures taken by the government (City, State and Federal), the youth showed their resentment.
In this scenario, it is possible to identify initiatives seeking to close the gap between citizens and their government. Known as web citizenship, they apply innovation and new technologies to build new solutions. These projects were created by organizations or by citizens themselves, both with or without government support. Below, I present three examples.
The first one is Votenaweb (“Vote on the web”), an online platform that offers a means of communication between citizens and their politicians, so that they can better understand each other’s behaviors and ideals. The Federal Government Policy Proposals are presented using a simplified language. The users can vote on the proposals, post comments, and get to know the politicians involved; the politicians then receive monthly reports on these polls. The platform was launched at the end of 2009, and now has more than 85 thousand users, and more than 2.3 million votes.
Another project is Cidade Democrática (“Democratic City”), an open innovation platform for proposition and discussion of ideas for Brazilian cities. The project consists of contests, where users can post ideas and vote for the best ones, which will win prizes. In partnership with the General Secretariat of the Presidency, they are currently promoting the “What’s your dream for Xingu?” contest, about a region in Pará (Northern Brazil). The region is facing fast change and growth, due to construction of the Monte Belo hydroelectric power plant.
In Porto Alegre (Southern Brazil), “Porto Alegre.cc” was created, giving users a way to pin on a map their suggestions, criticisms, or ideas for the city. It began in 2011 from a partnership between Unisinos University, the City Hall, and Lung company with the goal of opening a space for discussion about the city’s problems and its future. This interaction happens online, on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, but also through public events throughout the city, such as nightly picnics in some of the main parks.
What about your city? Do you know of or are you a member of these kinds of activities?
Photo: Example of a real federal government proposal on Votenaweb about the free bus pass for students. Credit: Votenaweb